‘Papilio’ and ‘Chooch Helped’ are children’s books brought to life by friendship

NPR's Book of the Day

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Books, Arts

4.2 • 672 Ratings

🗓️ 5 September 2025

⏱️ 19 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Two children’s books were brought to life by close collaborations, one between longtime friends and another that began with a chance encounter. First, Papilio follows an adventurous caterpillar through different stages of metamorphosis, each written and illustrated by three friends: Ben Clanton, Corey R. Tabor, and Andy Chou Musser. In today’s episode, the authors speak with NPR’s Scott Simon about how they made each section of the book their own. Then, author Andrea L. Rogers and illustrator Rebecca Kunz met by chance at the Cherokee National Holiday. Their book, Chooch Helped, went on to win the 2025 Caldecott Medal. In today’s episode, they talk with NPR’s Scott Simon about writing a sibling story.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's Empire's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbaugh. It might not seem like it, but
0:07.2	writing is a team sport. That's especially true if you're writing picture books.
0:12.0	NPR producer Samantha Balban puts together this great series called Picture This, where she
0:16.1	gets the collaborators of a kid's book together to talk about the creative process.
0:21.5	We've got a couple of those pieces for you today.
0:23.3	In a bit, we'll hear about Chuch Helped, which won the 2025 Caldecott Medal.
0:28.1	But first, Papilio is a book about a caterpillar who undergoes some changes.
0:33.3	The book is written by three friends, Ben Clanton, Corey R. Tabor, and Andy Chowmusser,
0:37.8	who each took the lead on different parts of Papilio's transformation into a butterfly.
0:43.4	And they talked about how they use their own different styles and techniques to make each phase feel different.
0:50.6	After the break, NPR Scott Simon sets up the plot a bit more, and then the three buddies
0:54.4	take it from there. In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life.
1:01.0	Distant wars, murky conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors on our new show, sources and methods.
1:07.5	NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people helping you understand
1:12.0	why distant events matter here at home. Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever
1:17.9	you get your podcasts. Papilio is an enthusiastic and adventurous caterpillar.
1:25.7	Papilio can't wait to join the world.
1:29.0	Today is the day, she decides.
1:31.4	She bursts out of her egg.
1:33.4	And she becomes a chrysalis.
1:35.8	Growing up sure is weird sometimes, thinks Papilio.
1:38.6	But as every caterpillar knows, you can't become a butterfly
	...

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